The Minnesota Golden Gophers will look for win no. 3 of the 2024 season on Saturday evening as they take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at Huntington Bank Stadium with the Floyd of Rosedale on the line.
With kickoff quickly approaching, Gophers Nation offers three keys to victory for the Gophers on Saturday night as well as our prediction for this evening's matchup.
Keys to victory
1. Run Darius Run
As far as Darius Taylor goes, the Gophers offense will follow. Taylor has been great in his first two games back from injury so far this fall totaling 273 yards of total offense with 188 rushing yards and 85 receiving yards. It won't be easy to run against Iowa's defense who has been outstanding against opposing ground attacks this season but in order to win this matchup, Taylor and the Gophers will need to be able to find some success.
2. Don't be afraid to be aggressive
There's a balance to find when facing Iowa of being aggressive in how you play but also not doing so to the point of jeopardizing your chances of winning. That being said, in a rivalry game where an early season victory could set the tone for a tough schedule ahead, being aggressive on Saturday could be highly beneficial for the Gophers. That's how P.J. Fleck manages the game but also in their play calling. Iowa's defense this season has not been the mistake free Iowa defense that we've seen in years past. The Hawkeyes have already allowed five plays of 20+ yards this season and three plays of 60+ yards. We wouldn't suggest calling for deep shots throughout the game and there's no indication that will be the case for the Gophers anyways. That being said, the Gophers shouldn't be afraid to take some chances throughout the contest. Fleck showed some aggressiveness last week against Nevada, we'll see if that carries over into this week's matchup.
3. Find a way to limit Kaleb Johnson
There are not many running backs in the country this season that are better than Hawkeyes tailback Kaleb Johnson. The junior out of Ohio this season is averaging 7.2 yards per carry and has 360 rushing yards and four touchdowns across 50 carries. So far this season, he's totaled 119, 187, and 173 rushing yards respectively in the first three weeks and has scored at least two touchdowns in each game as well. Unlike the Gophers offense, there still isn't a ton of promise within Iowa's passing attack and Cade McNamara is not the quarterback he once was. If the Gophers front seven can be consistently physical on Saturday night and limit the Iowa rushing attack, they should set themselves up very well to come away with a victory.
PREDICTION: Minnesota 16 - Iowa 13
Expect another low scoring affair at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday evening but we will ultimately be giving the Gophers the advantage. Through three games, the Gophers defense has been the more impressive defense between the two programs while the offense also has higher upside thanks to quarterback Max Brosmer. The Hawkeyes will look to control the game on the ground with Kaleb Johnson but could be in trouble if quarterback Cade McNamara is forced to throw with any consistency. Nonetheless, this matchup will come down to each team's ability to stop the opposing rushing attack as both offenses feature future NFL tailbacks in Darius Taylor and Kaleb Johnson.
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